Tuesday, June 23, 2015

The Iron Butt Rally begins at 10:00 am Monday, June 29, 2015. Some 100 of the world's top long-distance motorcyclists will put their skills, knowledge and abilities to the test over 11 days and 11,000+ miles in what is rightfully billed as the "World's Toughest Motorcycle Rally."

Check out the 2015 Iron Butt Rally official page for daily accounts and updates. The strict IBR rules prohibit blogging during the Rally, so check the official page for the latest goings on.

The Rally is divided into "legs" each for a predetermined number of hours. While on the clock, riders navigate to optional bonus locations to collect points by documenting their arrival date/time/odometer and usually take a photo of a specified object with their Rally Flag in the picture. Riders must arrive at the checkpoint within two hours of the end of the leg or be penalized for being late. Each leg is scored before the next leg begins with riders receiving points for such things as verified bonus location visits, calling in at a specified time and documented resting times.

I am riding in the IBR for the third time. My goal is to arrive at the finish checkpoint on time, in one piece and with enough points to be a Gold Medal Finisher. I will strive to beat my personal best 16th place position in the 2013 IBR. See 2015 IBR Goals and Objectives.

The ultimate challenge of the IBR is to finish safely. To do that I must apply my skills, knowledge and abilities in a balanced way across several performance categories while on the clock and under grueling conditions. See LD Riding on the Clock - An Organizing Framework

Below are the planning metrics I will be using for each leg. These will help me make decisions about ride pace and using resources while on the clock.